


Letters to a Stranger

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Love Letters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27047995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: Mahiru comes across a letter and decides to write a response to it. (KuroMahi, Historical Romance AU)
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Letters to a Stranger

After the library closed, Mahiru collected the papers and books that people had left on the tables. He wished people were more responsible and cleaned up after themselves. He worked in the castle and he came to learn that the royal family were as callus as they were wealthy. Mahiru picked up a book and a sheet of paper fell from between the pages. A sentence caught his eyes: _Do you like cats?_

His curiosity got the better of him and he skimmed through the rest. Mahiru discovered that it was a letter. There wasn’t enough detail in the note to know who wrote it or the person it was intended for. He found an envelope nearby and the return address was the warfront. He assumed the letter’s author was a soldier fighting in the war. While the letter was short, Mahiru thought he sounded lonely.

_My Lady, I’m not the best with words or letters but my brother suggested that I write something to you. I agreed since we are engaged to be married. Arranged marriages are troublesome, aren’t they? I don’t even know your name but it’ll change to mine once I return from the war. We haven’t had a chance to meet before the war started. I would like to learn more about you before we say our vows though. Do you like cats? From, Kuro Sleepy Ash Servamp._

Mahiru wondered why the letter had been left behind in a book. Since the envelope was opened when he found it, the man’s fiancé must’ve read it already. Did she misplace it? She would likely want the letter back to be able to write a response. He decided to search for the man’s fiancé and then he walked to his friend who was working nearby.

“Misono, you were working this morning. Did you see a woman sitting at that desk who was reading a letter? I think she accidentally left it behind and I want to return it to her.” Mahiru explained how he found the letter. “I know most of the servants working in the castle but I don’t know anyone who’s in an arranged marriage.”

“You shouldn’t trouble yourself with that letter and their engagement. I overheard the woman and her friends talking about the letter. The woman laughed about it and threw the latter away. She said, in an arranged marriage, there’s no need for love and she doesn’t intend to write a reply.” Misono told him. “I know you like to help people but you should throw away that letter.”

“He’ll be left waiting for a reply though.” Mahiru argued and then bit his lip. A part of him knew that he shouldn’t insert himself into a stranger’s life yet something in the letter tugged at his heart. He grew up without a father due to the war. He recalled how his mother would wait for his father’s letter that never came. One sentence would’ve been enough to make her smile and give her hope.

Could the man in the letter be in a similar situation as his mother was?

“One letter wouldn’t hurt. I’ll tell him that she’s too sick to write a reply. He won’t know that the woman laughed at his letter.” Mahiru reasoned. He sat at a desk and took out a pen to start his letter.

“He’ll meet his fiancé eventually and learn the truth.” Misono pointed out but he knew that it was useless to argue. Once his friend had decided he wanted to help someone, no one could dissuade him.

* * *

When Kuro wrote the letter to his fiancé, he didn’t expect her to write back to him. They were engaged to be married but they hadn’t met before. His brother suggested they traded letters to learn more about each other before their marriage. He didn’t know why he decided to send the letter though. Their arranged marriage was political and he knew better than to expect anything more than a loveless life.

He broke the seal on the envelope and he took out the letter. The paper had the subtle scent of roses. Kuro also found a pressed rose within the envelope and he assumed the scent was from the flower. He was surprised to find a gift with his letter and he twirled the fragile rose between his fingers. Then, he carefully placed the rose aside and read through the letter.

_Dear Kuro. I hope you, your family and everyone fighting in the war are doing well. Sadly, I am feeling sick and I cannot write a long reply. I have sent you a rose with this letter. My brother is also fighting in the war and he told me how bleak the battles can be. A rose might not be much but I hope it’ll lift your spirits whenever you need it. Please keep the rose close like a charm so you’ll stay safe._

_To answer your question, I adore cats. They’re simple creatures but wonderful companions. I once had a black cat as a pet and it would sit on my lap whenever I was lonely. There are a lot of stray cats in the castle and I would adopt them all if I were allowed. My friend would lecture me if I tried so I’ll have to settle for leaving out food for them._

While he hadn’t met his fiancé before, his family had told him a few things about her. She didn’t seem to be the type to feed stray cats so the letter piqued his interest. Kuro wondered if people were wrong about her. Many people judged his siblings so he sympathized with her if she was in the same situation. He only accepted the marriage for the sake of his family but he wondered if they could be something genuine.

* * *

“Mahiru, you have another letter. I thought you said that you would only send one letter. You’re lucky these letters are sent to the castle’s library to be sorted before they’re delivered to everyone.” Misono held out the envelope to Mahiru. Excitement beamed in his brown eyes as he took the letter from his friend. He didn’t know what they wrote to each other about but, from his reaction to the letter, he could see that they had grown close. “I hope you’re being careful when you write to him.”

“Don’t worry, I keep my letters simple.” He assured him. Months had passed since the first letter and they had exchanged countless letters. He didn’t know his fiancé so Mahiru would tell him about his own experiences. He was careful not to be discovered though. They had gotten to know each other through their letters and he learned that Kuro was a funny and thoughtful man. Mahiru felt a little guilty for lying to him. He could only imagine how confused he would be after he meet his fiancé.

Mahiru walked to a private corner of the library so he could read the letter. He opened the window to let in a cool breeze. There were rose bushes next to the window and their pleasant smell soothed him. He sat at the desk and opened Kuro’s letter. He smiled when he found a sketch of a bird attached to the letter. Kuro would often send him pictures to thank him for the flowers he gave him.

_Dear Rose, animals don’t visit the camp often but I saw a bird outside my tent this morning. I thought you might like it so I drew a sketch for you. There’s finally a lull in the battle and I can sleep peacefully. I heard the enemy has pulled back their forces and I hope that’s a sign the war will end soon. We can finally meet each other and feed those stray cats you told me about in your first letter._

_To be honest, I thought an arranged marriage was troublesome since we’re practically strangers. I’m lucky that my fiancé is someone I can talk to. I’m glad that I wrote a letter to you. All of my siblings are fighting in the war and I don’t know if I’ll have a family to return to when this is over. Meeting you is the one of the things I can look forward to, Rose._

Since Kuro didn’t know his name, he had given him a nickname based on the flower he sent him. His letter went on to tell him about his day and his family. Mahiru looked forward to his letters but he would have mixed feelings at the same time. He hadn’t intended to write more than one reply yet something changed with each letter they exchanged. His small lie had grown and Kuro would be hurt once he met his fiancé who had thrown away his letter.

Mahiru heard a sharp yelp of pain and he turned towards the voice. He leaned out the window to search for the person who was hurt and his eyes fell on a man in a white cloak. The man had a few roses in his arm and Mahiru guessed that he had pricked himself with a thorn. He walked to the window and said, “Excuse me, are you okay, Sir?”

“It’s just a small cut. I’ve gotten worse.” He shrugged.

“You should be mindful of wounds, even if they’re small. May I see your hand?” Mahiru asked. He held out his hand to him and the man laid his hand over his palm in return. Scars lined his fingers but Mahiru didn’t comment on them like the man expected him too. He ripped a strip of cloth from his napkin and then wrapped it around his finger.

“Will I make a full recovery, Doctor?” He asked in a flat voice but the subtle tilt of his lips told him that he was being more teasing than sarcastic. He had a handsome smile and Mahiru wondered who he was. Mahiru knew most of the workers in the castle but he didn’t recognize the man. He was certain he would remember someone with unique red eyes.

“I think you’ll survive. If you want to cut flowers, you should visit the castle’s greenhouse. My friend works there and I can ask him to let you pick a few flowers. Wait here and I’ll show you where the greenhouse is.” Mahiru offered and the man nodded in agreement. He carefully placed Kuro’s letter in his pocket before he left the library to help the man.

The backdoor of the library was nearby and he stepped outside. He stopped at his side and then gestured for him to follow him. They fell into step next to each other and Mahiru watched him from the corner of his eyes. “My name’s Mahiru. I haven’t seen you before. Are you here to visit someone in the castle?”

“I want to surprise my fiancé. She isn’t expecting me to return until a week from now. My brother is over watching my land so I can visit her. I saw roses and I thought I should pick a few for her. That makes me sound like a hopeless romantic, doesn’t it?” He chuckled at himself. His red eyes softened and Mahiru could see that he cared for his fiancé.

“That’s sweet. Your fiancé is lucky to have a caring partner. It’s rare that a person can marry for love rather than for it to be arranged by your parents. I know a lot of the workers in the castle so I might know your fiancé. What’s her name?”

“I don’t know since we’re in an arranged marriage. I wasn’t able to meet her before I joined the war. We’ve spoken through letters though. She sent me a rose and I want to give her one as well.” His words caused Mahiru’s body to stiffen in shock. He couldn’t move as a realization crashed over him.

The man in front of him was Kuro.

“Is something wrong, Mahiru?” Kuro noticed how he stopped walking and he turned back to him. Mahiru had large, expressive brown eyes so Kuro could see his shock. His mind was racing too fast for Mahiru to respond to his question. What could he say? He knew the right thing to do was to tell him the truth before he went to his fiancé.

Mahiru faced Kuro yet his words became caught in his throat. He couldn’t only imagine the hurt on his face when he told him that his fiancé wasn’t the one to write the letter. Kuro was staring at him with confusion so he knew he needed to say something. “Maybe this isn’t the right time to visit your fiancé, Kuro. You’re returning from a war so you should take some time for yourself.”

“… How did you know that my name is Kuro? I haven’t told you my name yet.” Kuro’s brows furrowed as he studied Mahiru. Instead of answering, Mahiru turned on his heel and dashed away from him.

* * *

“I should’ve listened to Misono and ignored his letter. What am I going to do now?” Mahiru muttered to himself as he fed the cats. They purred in response to his words and he petted one of the cats. Unfortunately, its soft fur didn’t comfort him like it usually did. Another sigh escaped him and he took out the letter Kuro had sent him. He had to remind himself: “He didn’t send this to me.”

A cat pawed at the paper and Mahiru quickly lifted the letter out of its reach. He was surprised when the letter was stolen from his hand. He looked over his shoulder to see who the person was and he gasped. Kuro stood over him with the letter in his hand. He didn’t appear angry but Mahiru held his breath as he waited for him to speak.

“Do you like cats?” His question was barely a whisper but it caused guilt to squeeze Mahiru’s heart. Kuro didn’t look at him and focused on the cats instead. “My fiancé said she liked to feed the stray cats in the castle. I came here to speak with her but she’s not here. I don’t think she’ll come either. After you ran away, I spoke with my brother who arranged the marriage. He says my fiancé is allergic to cats.”

“She didn’t lie to you and she didn’t tell me to write those letters to you either. Please, don’t be angry with her for something I did on my own.” Mahiru knew that it was pointless to lie to him. His gaze fell to the ground as he explained how he found his letter. “I thought I was sparing your feelings by replying to your letter but I only made this complicated situation. I’m sorry for lying to you about who I was. Everything else I wrote about was the truth though.”

Mahiru felt a warm hand brush over his hair and he finally faced Kuro. Tenderly, he brushed his brown hair from his eyes and then tucked a rose behind his ear. “I told my fiancé that I didn’t want to go through with the arranged marriage. There’s someone I wanted to get to know through more than letters. You’ve never told me about your family, Mahiru.”

“I have a brother and we were raised by my uncle.” Mahiru was relieved that Kuro wasn’t angry with him for lying and he wanted to get to know him more. They already knew each other through their letters so they were able to fall into a conversation easily. He told him about his childhood and petted the cat on his lap. He liked exchanging letters with Kuro but he found that he preferred speaking with him in person.


End file.
